Container



NOV. 8, 1938. F. E. GUNTRlp 2,135,503

CONTAINER Filed April 20, 1937 Lm/enioz". FE. Guniri www Hiorzzqys.

Patented Nov. 8, 1938 PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Frederick E. Guntrip,Santa Barbara, Calif. Application April'zo, 1937, serial No. 137,971 3claims. (o1. *20s- 1) My invention relates to a container with means forengaging and holding articles inthe container to prevent their movement,thus the container may be used for carrying delicate and readilybreakable articles in that Vsuch articles may be ygripped in thecontainer and thus restrained from any movement which would tend tobreak such articles.

In a container of this character an object and feature of my inventionis the development of a sanitary type of container which may be readilythoroughly cleaned and sterilized and may be maintained if desired, in asterilized condition and also in which the article to be retained froml5 movement is engaged between the bottom of the container and a falseclosure or gripper member Which may be moved into engagement with thearticle and thus secure the article between the container bottom and thefalse closure member.

The container is provided with a closurecap so that there is no dangerof the teeth in the container being broken and that these may be kept ina sanitary condition. My container alsol provides a sanitary receptaclein which a person may place the false teeth over-night. t

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing,in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a suitable container.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the container illustrated there is a cup-like bowl member II with aflat base or bottom I2 and a cylindrical side wall I3 terminating at thetop I4'. The inside wall has threads I5 extending downwardly to aposition close to the bottom contiguous to the upper edge of a lletcurve I6. This curve is provided to facilitate cleansing of thecontainer. The outside of the wall is also externally threaded asindicated at I'I.

The false closure or gripper member 20 is in the form of a disk having athickened peripheral section 2| with a relatively thin center portion22. The peripheral portion has external threads 23 complementary to theinternal threads I5. There are also a plurality of finger grip openingsor perforations 24; The top or cover 25 has preferably a flat top wall23 and a downwardly extending iiange 2l. The flange is internallythreaded as indicated at 28 with threads complementary to the externalthreads I'I. There is also a shallow annular recess 29 on the undersideof the cover and in this is iitted a rubber or similar gasket 30.

In constructing my invention I preferably make both the internal andexternal threads of the bowl and the complementary threads of thegripper member 2D and of the cap or cover 25 of steepy pitch and havingmultiple entrance ends to afford quick threading adjustment of both thegripper and of the cap. Also for convenience of quick adjustment andalso to facilitate cleansing and sterilizing, the threads are shown ofthe Square type.

In my invention I illustrate a set of false teeth 35 inserted in thecontainer, the teeth 35 resting on the bottom I2 and the upper or moldedgum portion 31 being engaged by the gripper 20. This gripper is threadeddownwardly in the open bowl, the ngers being used in the nger gripopenings 24 which allows quickly threading this in place until the setof teeth are engaged and held firmly between the bottom I2 and thegripper 2i). If desired a wad of cotton or the like having a few dropsof a sterilizing or germicidal solution may be placed in a containerresting on the gripper 2D. The cap or cover 25 is then threaded in placeand on account of the seal with the rubber gasket 30, substantiallyhermetically closes the container. It is obvious that the cap, thegripper 20 and the teeth may readily be removed from the container andon account of this being made of material which may be readilysterilized, the whole container may be cleansed and maintained in asterilized condition. It is also obvious that where a person desires tohave the teeth immersed in a sterilizing solution that such solution maybe placed in the bowl, either before or after the gripper engages theteeth and when the cap is in place, I have provided practically aleak-proof container.

While I have illustrated the container as adapted for retaining andholding a set of false teeth, it is obvious that my design may be usedor modii-led to hold other articles, such as ne jewelry, perfume bottlesor the like, which might readily be broken when the owner is travelling.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as dened by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A container having a bowl-like structure with a base and acylindrical Wall threaded on the inside, a gripper element in the formof a disk having peripheral threads complementary to the interiorthreads of the wall whereby after inserthe container having externalthreads on the up-v per part of the wall and a cover with a top andalthreaded flange complementary t o the external threads, there being asealing means-between the cap and the said walls to f0rrn.a-.hermeticseal.

2. A container having a bowl-like structure with a base flat on theinside, a cylindricalwall, af.v

concave annular fillet between the base and the wall, the wall havinginternal threads extending downwardly from its upper edge, a gripperele#- ment in the form of a disk having a thickenedv vperiphery withthreads complementary to the internal threads of the side wall, the diskhaving a relatively thin central portion with one or more perforationsforming a nger grip and also to provide for passage of a fluid frombelow to above the disk or vice versa, the disk being adapted to engagean article between the flat base and the lower side of the disk toprevent movement of such article.

3. A container having a bowl-like structure with a base, a cylindricalinside wall provided with interior screw threads, a gripper element inthe form of a disk having peripheral threads complementary to theinterior threads of the wall, the gripper element having openings forpassage of a liquid, said openings forming a means for threading thegripper element from the upper edge of the bowl-like structure towardsthe base whereby an article, inserted in the bowl-like structure on thebase prior to insertion of the gripper elementmay be clamped between thegripper element and the base by threading the gripper element towardsthe. base and means separate from the gripper element' to form aliquid'tight

